The Secret Life
by geea2
Summary: Meet the Scott family and read about their trials and tribulations at Duke University. Meet Brooke Davis, ever elusive and hiding something. What could it be? BRUCAS JALEY RATHAN
1. Life Or Something Like It

It was a mixture of Axe, cigarettes, and a hint of vodka. It was enough to soak her panties in seconds flat. He was as elusive as she. If there was one man who was on the same plain that she was on it was him. He was intelligent, charismatic, and athletic and didn't give a fuck. She was gorgeous, sociable and had more masks then The Costumer. Together they did something exceptional, they created truth, it was too bad that it couldn't work. Honestly, they never had a chance.

The moment that she pulled the door open his arms wrapped around her waist and his hands traveled down to grasp her ass and lift her. As he carried her toward her bed she kicked her door shut. Without preamble he brought her down to her hard twin-sized bed on the standard college ordered wooden frame. They both knew that this first time wouldn't be long. He might rip some her clothes, she might leave some marks from their experience. Either way they would have their truth.

"I can't wait," he said angrily against her lips.

"Who asked you to," she replied and ripped his nice button up shirt apart. She heard a button hit the floor but paid no mind to it.

He wretched her hair back, forcing her to expose her throat and bit her before soothing the spot with his hot tongue. She cried out as the pain melted into an electric rush. Her hands squeezed his strong shoulders and then she dug her fingers down his back. He reared up in pain and yelled.

"That hurt," he growled as he shoved her sleep shirt up and revealed her to his hungry gaze.

"Good," she growled back. She was immediately put in her place as he lodged two of his fingers inside of her. She gasped in surprise but felt her inner muscles clench hungrily.

"That'll teach you talk back," he whispered huskily into her ear before thrusting his fingers, waiting until she was close to the edge before stopping. At her moan of irritation he bit her earlobe, "you don't get to come until I do bitch."

She growled in earnest that time, "aren't you man enough to do it asshole?"

He yanked his fingers out of her and ripped her shirt down the middle. One arm slid behind her back and forced her to arch to him so he wouldn't have to bend forward to capture one of her cherry nipples into his mouth.

As he sucked her fingers worked steadily undoing his belt and zipper and finally releasing him into her hand. He was thick, and long and hot. His cock was truly superb. He took over then, he didn't want her to guide him, he wanted her to know that he took what he wanted, what was his.

"Put your legs up," he ordered. When she complied he positioned himself, "did you put in the diaphragm?"

She shook her head no, she hadn't been expecting him especially after the stunt that morning.

"Shit," he swore, he hated using condoms with her. He liked to feel all of her when he fucked her. But nevertheless he rolled a condom on and without giving her any warning slammed himself home.

She moaned once and he was determined to make her do it again. She didn't like to make noise when she fucked, she liked to be in control of her body. She wanted to come when she wanted. She wanted him to come when she felt like it. She wanted to be dominant but he wasn't the type to allow his women to be.

"Does it feel good," he inquired, grinding his teeth. She was so fucking tight, her pussy overwhelmed him.

She looked him in the eyes, meeting his gaze. This was their intensity. They continued to stare at one another even as their thrusts grew more impatient, as they began to sweat. He reached his hand down and rubbed her sensitive swollen flesh and she closed her eyes and tilted her head up. Her throat was working, she was swallowing, desperate for release.

"Tell me," he ordered this time. He rubbed faster.

Suddenly her eyes flew open and she met his gaze again, "you tell me!"  
He pushed her harder and he felt her intentionally squeeze her inner muscles, they both flew over the edge and as they did they both screamed out in ecstasy.

0000

Brooke sat beside her cheer squad and listened half heartedly to them gossip about a new girl. How they managed to notice one new girl on a campus of thousands was astounding. Of course she didn't have time to notice such things. She was Brooke Davis the squad leader of the Duke Blue Devils Cheer Squad, the number one squad in the South. She was also a junior fashion management major who was obviously going to strike it in the business. She was destined for greatness.

"Brooke, are you listening," Peyton Scott, a blonde member of her squad asked. Brooke didn't know how she managed to remain so innocent as the younger sister of the Scott brothers, the terrible twins. But unbelievably she was a sweet girl, Brooke wondered when the world would squeeze that out of her.

"Not really, but what was it that was so important," she asked. She was cruel, it was a good trait in her mind.

Peyton smiled at her and tossed her head of blond curls to the side, "I said that my parents are going out of town this weekend and my brothers are throwing a party back at home in Tree Hill. Of course you're invited!"

"Well thank you, little Scott, but I'm a little too busy for little parties in little towns," Brooke replied.

"Come on, B. Davis, we're all going," Haley intervened on the girl's behalf. Honestly, Brooke could be a bitch. Peyton was a sweet freshmen who had incredible dancing talent and was so patient with someone who obviously didn't want her friendship.

Brooke's gaze softened slightly at Haley. There were two people on the planet that she trusted and one of those people was Haley. Those two people may not know her that well but she trusted them and they knew it even though the words were never spoken.

"I'll think about it," she stood. Her next class didn't begin for another twenty minutes but she had to get away from her squad, "I'll see you all at practice. Do not be late, if you are then don't bother to show up."

The girls watched as she walked away and then it began. Teresa, a beautiful brunette who couldn't add two and two together gazed at her reflection in her compact, "she is always so PMS. I wish she would just be human for a second."

"Tell me about it," Bevin, another member, nodded, "she told me that I had to drop five pounds by March Madness or she was putting me in the back."

"She's a bitch," someone else added.

Haley was going to reply when a bunch of the basketball players sat down beside them. She searched for, and found, Jake Jagielski. He was a small forward on the basketball team and truly the love of her life.

"Hi," she smiled at him and accepted his sweet kiss.

"Hi," he replied before lifting her hand and kissed her just above where her engagement ring sat.

"What's going on," Lucas Scott wondered as he kissed his baby sister's head and sat.

"Nothing, we were just discussing Brooke," Teresa replied and finally snapped her compact shut to gaze adoringly at Lucas. The elder Scott, by three and a half minutes, was blond and gorgeous. He had let her suck him off once, she wanted to immerse herself in him.

"What about her," Nathan asked as he followed suit and gave his baby sister's head a kiss.

"I invited her to our party but she pretty much told me she wasn't coming," Peyton replied and laid her head on Nathan's shoulder.

"But we'll be there," Teresa added again. She decided that she would screw Nathan as well given the opportunity. Both boys had electric blue eyes that could burn through a woman.

"Why did you invite her," Lucas asked.

Peyton rolled her eyes toward Haley and Jake, honestly the three of them were always getting in between the fights Lucas and Brooke had. The team captain of the famous Duke Blue Devils Basketball Team and the squad captain of the infamous Duke Blue Devils Cheer Squad, and they detested one another.

Lucas was too cocky, too smart, too self-assured. Brooke was too irritable, too beautiful and too confident. In a room alone for ten minutes they could kill one another. That was how strong their hate for one another was.

"Be nice," Haley implored Lucas.

"Some people are just not meant to get along," Nathan told Lucas. Honestly he couldn't understand why Lucas didn't like her. Brooke was obviously afraid of being hurt, Nathan thought she would make a good friend if she would just open up.

"And what was that about yesterday," Peyton asked.

"What?"

Jake grinned at Lucas, "you know what we're talking about. You too were yelling in the middle of your respective practices. Not even the coach could get you two to stop. Beyond that she slapped you!"

"And then you proceeded to yoke her up and drop her petite ass on the mat on the cheerleader's side of the gym," Skillz Taylor added with a grin.

"She said something I didn't like," he replied. He would never tell them that she had called him a pussy and insulted his incredible sexual prowess. If he took the time to examine the argument he would realize that they happened around the beginning of each month. He assumed it was her period but that couldn't be right because she certainly hadn't been bleeding the night before.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "you always manage to tell each other the direct opposite of what you want to hear."

Lucas nodded and stared off into space before rising, "I have to go study for my Chem exam."

They all watched him walk away and then Jake was shaking his head, "one day they'll have to make peace with each other."

Peyton bit her bottom lip, that was up for dispute.

0000

Lucas spotted her as he rounded the corner of the library that was isolated a majority of the time. She was typing furiously on her lap top and whispering angrily into her cell phone. He had been ready to find her and either fuck her stupid or yell at her for hurting his baby sister's feelings yet again.

"No," she hissed into the phone, "would that make me happy? You're an idiot, of course that wouldn't make me happy! Look, all I need for you to do is to stay put… I will be there tonight… When? I don't know, when I get there! I have practice…I cannot cancel practice…Just stay there, I will be there by nine and then we'll figure it out."

In her last sentence he heard something he had never heard in her voice, vulnerability and sensitivity. He hadn't realized that she had possessed either.

"What the fuck are you doing here," he snapped back to attention and realized that she knew he was there. He watched her snap her phone shut and rise, "what did you hear?"

"Nothing, just you telling someone not to cancel practice," he lied.

She looked him over, "what did you want?"

He walked toward her and undid the belt on his jeans, he unzipped them released himself from his briefs, "do you need to ask?"

She propped her butt on the table and spread her thighs, her short skirt hiding nothing, "I have the diaphragm."

Lucas bent his head and captured her lips in a brutal kiss before sitting, when she sat on his lap, his world began to spin on its axis. He harshly held her thighs open and played with her exposed body until they both went climaxed in joint silence.


	2. No Satisfaction For The Weak

Brooke walked into her room late that night

Brooke walked into her room late that night. She had done what had to be done and hoped that everything would be okay at least for a few weeks. She needed things to be okay just for a moment so she could catch her breath. She stripped off her clothes and without pretence slid under her silk sheets and laid there, but sleep would not come to her. Sometimes she was so tired that she was afraid she wouldn't be able to wake up if she fell asleep.

It was during those nights as she lay awake, fighting her body's need for rest that she thought of the first time she had been in Lucas' arms. It had been during the Halloween ball for the sorority that all of the cheerleaders were in: Gamma Gamma Gamma, her freshmen year. She remembered her costume well, a naughty nurse, fitting for her in more ways then any of the girls had known. Lucas had been wearing a surgeon's uniform and so they had seemed to fit together. That had been before the popular sophomore Lucas Scott had noticed the new freshmen cheerleader.

Their eyes had met and for a moment there had been nothing for her. She would never admit to anyone that the music had died around her and everyone had evaporated. There had been nothing except him. That thought scared her with its abruptness.

He had danced with her. Pulled her close and she had felt the way that their bodies had melted together so perfectly. For a moment she thought that the world was turning on its axis, that life was soon going to get better for her. During the ten minutes they had danced she had forgotten every tragedy and lived solely for the joy of being in his arms. That night they had connected, talked about the little things like their favorite colors and the places they'd been. The next day he had met her officially as a cheerleader and it had been obvious that their masks were in place. Neither of them had been brave enough then to put their mask down and today was no different, and they despised each other for it.

0000

Nathan Scott walked along the path toward his English class. There were days when the world seemed so open and carefree and then his cell phone would buzz and it would be his father. Dan Scott was the quintessential hard ass father who worked hard but worked his kids harder. He and Lucas only lived an hour and a half away from home so on those especially bad days Dan would find his way up to their apartment suite.

Honestly the only reason he did what Dan wanted and did so well in basketball was because of his brother and sister. If Nathan quit, told Dan to shove it because he had long ago forced his love of the game out of him, then he would just lay it on Lucas. And then Dan would drag Peyton to the local community college where he had wanted her to go in the first place. Say what you want about Dan Scott but he was very overprotective of his baby girl. If he could he would lock her in her room forever.

Nathan wasn't paying attention to where he was going until he bumped into someone. He was barely knocked back a step but the girl he had ran into was sprawled on the ground.

"Oh my God, are you okay? I'm so sorry, ma'am," he put his hands on her waist and lifted her effortlessly. The girl was way too skinny, he could feel her ribs. He had lifted weights that were heavier then her.

Her hair was disheveled but under the knots and dirt it looked like a beautiful dark red. But it was her vivid blue eyes that caught his attention. They were brutal, it was like looking into a mask of pain, like there had never been any other emotion that could overshadow the intensity of the other.

"Thanks," she looked around, and gently prided his fingers from her waist, "that hurts."  
"I'm sorry," he repeated again. He wetted his lips with his tongue, suddenly wanting to make sure she was okay.

Before he could speak again she was walking away from him, hunched over and sad. He didn't know her but he wanted to. He was compelled by the pain that so obviously mirrored his. Without wondering over his own actions or intent he rushed after her, "hey!"  
She turned and looked at him, "what?"

Nathan had never felt more compelled to talk to someone before, "I was wondering what your name was."

"Rachel," she replied, her eyes conveyed her irritation and weariness. It reminded him of something.

He pulled out the grin that always softened a girl's heart, "just Rachel? Like Madonna?"

She looked away and then back again, "look buddy, I don't know what your game is but I don't have time to stand here and flirt. I'm looking for my cousin and I need to find her immediately."

"Well who's your cousin, maybe I can help you," he offered.

Rachel looked him over and finally rolled her eyes, "Brooke Davis, have you heard of her?"

Nathan almost groaned, he should've known!

0000

Lucas spent some time watching Brooke from the corner of his eye as he stretched. The scene in the library was one that they had been repeating since her freshmen year when their arguments had erupted into one night of uncontrollable desire. What he had never witnessed before was the very obvious fact that she was a human being, then he realized that it was just easier to believe that. He had heard the sadness in her voice, the voice that was either yelling or confident. All of a sudden he wanted to know more about her, about what made her tick.

"Hey man," Nathan ran up beside him.

"Where have you been? You know if Dan hears that you were late to practice he'll kick both of our asses," Lucas reminded him.

"I know, but I met this girl-" Lucas cut him off.

"You put both of our asses on the line for a girl?"  
His voice was incredulous. They never put girls over each other or their family, "she needed help and I couldn't leave her. I ran into her and she fell, I had to help her out!"

"What you needed to do was to make sure you got here on time," Lucas replied.

Suddenly the previously loud cheering squad quieted. Lucas didn't know why he was so in tune to them or why he stopped stretching and looked toward them but he did. He watched as Brooke walked on the sidelines toward a pretty red head.

"I told you I'd be there," Brooke told her before they wrapped their arms around one another. The red head buried her face in Brooke's neck and her body shook as she cried.

"Who's that," Lucas took a step forward, wanting to do something.

Nathan laid a hand on his brother's shoulder, "that, is the girl."

Brooke looked over to Lucas and he knew without her doing anything that she needed him to do something. He turned to the cheerleaders who were watching everything, "practice is cancelled."

0000

Lucas knocked on her door that night, looking for answers. He didn't like this. He didn't like that suddenly he was realizing that there was way too much he didn't know about her. He didn't like that all of a sudden he felt like he needed to know more.

She didn't answer the door for a long time. Eventually the door opened a crack, the room was dark inside, "what?"

"I want to come in," he responded.

"Not tonight Lucas," she told him, ready to close the door.

Lucas kept his hand on the door, letting her know that he could overpower her, "what the fuck is going on?"  
Her eyes narrowed, he recognized her anger, "none of your business. Now back off!"

"It is my business," he returned.

"No," she stepped partially out of her room and looked up and down the empty hallway. She whispered, "we fuck. My life is my life, it is not your business! Now if you want to come back tomorrow and fuck you know I'll be here but tonight is my night."

"It shouldn't be this way," he said finally.

Her eyes widened at that, "Lucas!"

He squared his shoulder, "but it is. Don't worry Brooke, I won't try again. I'll be here tomorrow night."

Brooke watched him walk away before sighing and closing the door behind herself. Rachel sat up in bed, "you want to love him."

"I want a lot of things," Brooke replied with a shrug and then laid down in bed with her again. They fell asleep clutching each other's hands.

0000

Brooke woke up late the next morning and ran to get to her first class. When she walked into her American Literature class she felt everyone's penetrating gaze. Almost all of the basketball players and cheerleaders were in the class.

"Hey, Brooke," Teresa smiled.

"Hi," Brooke was proud of herself, her voice was strong and censuring.

"You okay," Jake leaned down to picked up his dropped pencil and asked.

Brooke almost smiled, he and Haley were so fucking genuine, "yeah, thanks."

"A little late today, Davis," Lucas' snide voice made her shiver inside.

"Try not to worry yourself too much Scott," she replied with a sneer of her own.

The class was boring and everyone spent a significant time making bullshit responses and doodling. Brooke was tense. Lucas had said that their relationship shouldn't be this way. She wondered what he meant. In all of their years together he had never once acted as if he wanted to put aside their differences and actually be a team…a couple. When her phone buzzed Brooke lifted it to her desk level to look at the text. Rachel was upset, she didn't realize that she had gotten pale or that she had muttered a very dark expletive.

Her phone buzzed again and she looked down to see Luke's number, she didn't keep his name in it in case one of the cheerleaders happened to look at who was calling her. She opened the text box, it read, "wuts wrong?"

She sighed and texted back, "the norm."

"The box, 10 min," was the quick reply. The box was an unused janitor's closet that she and Lucas had spent countless hours having quickies in. She nodded scantly to nothing but she knew that he had seen it. She truly didn't know what they were she just knew that some things could never be. Brooke Davis was nothing if she wasn't a realist; happiness was a figment of impractical people's imaginations.


	3. Realizations

Lucas pulled Brooke into the small closet. Almost immediately she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a hard kiss. As usual his blood began to pound in his ears but at the same time his mind wasn't on fucking her.

"Brooke," he gently pulled her back and smoothed her hair from her face, "tell me what's wrong."

Even in the darkness of the closet he could see the disappointment on her face. She pulled away further until she was leaning against the opposite wall, leaving about a foot in between them, "nothing."

"Does it have anything to do with the crying red head that Nathan accidentally pushed," Lucas asked.

Brooke moved forward, "he pushed her!"

Luke took a deep breath, reminding himself to remain calm, something he'd never done in Brooke's presence, "on accident and then helped her find you. Who is she anyway?"

After a slight pause, "an old friend. Can we please get on with it?"

"She told Nathan that she was your cousin. I didn't realize you had family," he continued.

"Everyone has family, Lucas, we just don't always associate with them," she wrapped her arms around his neck and began to nibble on his ear lobe.

Lucas rocked his pelvis against hers but at the same time there was a terrible heaviness in his chest. Everything was being thrown off its axis and he didn't know how to react anymore. For all of the years they had known each other, for all of the time they had been fucking, he had never felt the need to know her. Suddenly knowing what made Brooke Davis tick was becoming an obsession.

0000

Brooke took Rachael out to dinner after practice that night. She had hoped to talk her into going back to her home but found that it was impossible to send her away when the red head's blue eyes shone wet with tears.

"Brookie, I can't go back," Rachael told her.

"Rachael, I have to finish school. After I get my degree we'll go up to New York City and I'll start my clothing line and you'll be my first rate model. None of that can happen until I graduate, I need the prestige of Duke to make our way," Brooke willed her to understand.

Instead of responding Rachael pulled up the sleeve of her long sleeved shirt. Brooke inhaled sharply, "he's hitting me again, B. It gets worse and worse every time!"

Brooke released a long exhale trying with all of her might to push down the sick feeling in her stomach, the intense need to kill him. This wasn't new, there had been many times over the years when Rachael had come to her with bruises, cuts, and even a few concussions.

"I want to kill him," Brooke admitted quietly.

"Me too," Rachael agreed.

Brooke nodded, "you'll stay here. The semester just started I'm sure you'll be able to transfer in, the guidance counselors are really understanding and completely confidential."

"What about all of my stuff? Brooke, I have everything left of her there," Rachael told her.

"We'll go back on a night when he's guaranteed to be gone and get everything. We are not leaving a trace of anything that belonged to her, he doesn't deserve it," she was passionate.

Rachael gripped Brooke's hand tightly, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Brooke squeezed back, Rachael was the only person she had. Out of nowhere a picture of Lucas popped into her mind. She shook her head to clear it, she didn't want to depend on Lucas. She couldn't afford to have any distractions, "you're my family, Rach, nothing will ever matter as much as you."

"Thank you, B," Rachael replied seriously.

"I love you," Brooke told her.

The tears she had been holding gently cleared a path down her face, "I love you too, B."

0000

Lucas tried not to be obvious as he watched the exchange between Brooke and her mysterious "old friend." The red head was crying softly now, her hand gripping Brooke's. Brooke looked ready to kill someone and oddly enough all Lucas wanted to do was to go to her and take her away from anything that could hurt her or worse, scare her.

"Lucas, pay attention boy, you can't afford to keep losing shots because you're passing the ball around like a hot potato," Dan hissed under his breath.

Luke turned to his father, he realized Nathan was focusing on the same scene, "Dad, it's a team sport, I have to pass every now and then."

"Do you think the pro scouts care how well you can pass? No, they care about how many points you're scoring. And you Nathan, you missed a free throw! Why did I have you two doing two hundred free throws a day for ten years?"

Nathan scowled, "it was the end of the fourth quarter and the other player had smashed my elbow when his teammate fouled me!"

"No excuses," Dan told him.

"Look, Dad, we have a game tomorrow and we need to sleep if we're going to be at our best," Luke told him at length.

Before Dan could reply a voice made his face light up like a Christmas tree. Peyton wrapped her arms around Dan's neck and kissed his cheek, "Daddy!"

Dan laughed before pulling her to him and kissing her forehead, "precious! What are you doing out so late on your own?"

She laughed as she sat across from him, "Daddy, it's only six and I knew you'd be here."

"How are your studies," Dan asked, a completely different person.

"Oh, Daddy, my Global Art class is so interesting," Peyton began.

Luke listened half heartedly as Peyton rambled on and on to their father about her art class. She thought that if she told him often how much she loved art that he wouldn't be as disappointed when he found out she wanted to pursue it instead of business or nursing. What she hadn't realized yet was that Dan would never be satisfied.

0000

Luke felt her before he saw her shadow. She never came on a night before a game, they both knew that he needed to be at his best. He sat up on his elbows, "what are you doing here?"

She didn't speak, she gently slid out of her night shirt revealing her beautiful body to his gaze. She slid her hair back from her shoulders and gazed at him with a look she had never given him before. Vaguely he realized that he was dreaming. There was no way she could be in front of him with a look that could only be described as loving.

"I needed to be with you, Luke," her voice was raspy and full of want.

"There's a game tomorrow," Luke reminded her.

"Just this one time," she straddled him and took his left hand to lay on her breast, "please, Luke. Only you can make it better."

"Make what better," he asked as he caressed her tight nipple.

Her gorgeous eyes filled with tears, "only you can make it better."

His hand stilled, "what's wrong?"

"I'm scared," she admitted. Her tears spilled down her face.

Luke sat up and pulled his hands through her hair and forced her head down so their foreheads met, he kissed her lips softly, "tell me, baby. Tell me what's wrong!"

Her tears fell on his chest and slid down to his heavy erection, "I'm scared, help me make it better."

"Brooke," he pulled her tight to him, "it's okay, baby. Everything will be okay. I'll make it okay."

"Lucas," Luke jerked his head, what the hell was Nathan doing here?

Nathan shook his brother again until his blue eyes snapped open. Nathan had entered Luke's room after knocking for five minutes and hearing him tossing and turning. When he'd entered Luke had been clutching his pillow and crying.

"Jesus, man, what kind of fucked up nightmare were you having," Nathan asked worriedly.

Luke took a deep breath. His world was turning on its axis and he was not happy about it. Suddenly his hot fuck was turning into someone he felt attached to, like there was an invisible string intertwining them, heart to heart.

0000

Brooke knew she didn't look her best that morning. Even though Rachael had slept peacefully and thoroughly Brooke couldn't rest. She didn't know how she was going to manage everything. She had to protect her reputation at all costs. If people found out her past, everything she had worked so hard for would be ruined. Duke wasn't a school that let in people like her, that allowed people like her to be in the elite. She didn't know how she would able to afford having Rachael at school with her. Her mind felt close to collapse under the strain of her worries.

"Hey, Brooke," Peyton sat beside her and smiled. Almost immediately she frowned, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Brooke replied, her voice raspy and angry.

Peyton put up her hands in a sign of innocence, "no pressure, I was just trying to help."

Brooke snarled, "well don't. I don't need your help."

"Hey," Nathan came up behind them, "what's up?"

"I don't need your help," she repeated. The look of worry in Peyton's sincere eyes was too much for her.

Peyton looked shocked, "Brooke, what is wrong?"

Before Brooke could yell Lucas was grasping her wrist. He looked as tired as Brooke felt, "back off of my baby sister."

Brooke snatched away her wrist as if she had been burned, "don't touch me!"  
"You've got a bad attitude, Davis, back the fuck off," Luke warned her again.

"I've got a bad attitude? Who the fuck asked you, Lucas Scott? Why don't you take your pompous, I've-been-handed-everything-I've-ever-wanted-ass some place where people actually appreciate it!"

Lucas' nose flared and the electricity between crackled alarmingly, "watch your mouth, Brooke. I'm not in the mood."

One chocolate eyebrow rose in rebellion, "or what?"

"Luke," Peyton and Nathan both warned him. Peyton rose but Nathan got in front of her.

"Come on man, class is about to start."

"What's going on," Brooke broke their staring contest because Rachael's voice sounded tired and sad all at once behind her.

She turned on her heel and faced Rachael, looking deeply at her face, "what's wrong?"

Rachael looked at her, "we have to get it out tonight, B. I called, he said-"

Brooke took Rachael's wrist and pulled her away from the Scott family. The last thing she needed was for any of them to know her personal business. But as she was walking Lucas called her name. She turned and looked at him.

He stood looking sexy and angry and like everything she had never known she wanted, "this isn't over."

She nodded her head curtly and began to walk with Rachael toward her dorm building.

"What happened," Nathan asked Peyton.

Peyton shrugged as they all watched Brooke walk away, "I don't know but that red head is the key to Brooke Davis. She's almost protective of her."

Nathan's gaze was centered on Rachael. Her eyes were full of fear and it made his stomach clench. He didn't know her story but he felt inclined to be the one to help her fix her problems.

"Fucking bitch," Lucas ground out. Their exchange had left him completely unsatisfied. He had wanted to push all of her thoughts of self-righteousness out of her mind by fucking her hard and long, until they both collapsed with exhaustion, until they were too tired to have nightmares. And he had no doubt that Brooke Davis had nightmares, it was written all over her face, but for some reason he was just beginning to realize it.


	4. Mission Impossible

Brooke took a deep breath as she zipped up her skin tight black sweater. She couldn't afford to wear anything that would attract his attention while she was getting all of Rachel's things. She gulped, she was scared. She would never admit it to anyone, especially Rachel, but she was so scared she felt herself shaking. She had waited until Rachel had passed out to get ready. Rachel thought that after the game Brooke would come back and wake her up so they could finish this whole mess together. But Brooke couldn't risk Rachel getting hurt, she was her only family and she refused to let her get hurt. So Brooke was going on this mission solo. She stuffed her ski mask into her black tote and very quietly left her dorm room trying to match her pounding heart to Rachel's calm sleep breaths.

0000

Rachel heard the pounding on the door and even in her sleepy grogginess felt her body stiffen in preparation for the hit she would soon receive. But when none came her eyes opened. Immediately she searched the clock and knew that Brooke had gone alone. She should have expected it. Brooke was so fucking protective of her that she had made the stupid choice of going alone!

"Who the hell is it," Rachel finally shouted.

"Brooke, open up, it's me, Lucas," he sounded irritated.

Rachel rose and pulled her jeans on over her boy shorts. Finally she pulled open the door, "you're the blond boy that is always up Brooke's butt, right?"

Lucas' face conveyed his confusion, not only over her presence, but over her question, "I'm not up her butt!"

"The one yelling at her earlier? The one who's lucky she didn't deck him," she questioned again. Over the years she had become timid but with Brooke being in imminent danger felt her old power coming back to her. She felt like herself for the first time in years.

"Yeah," Luke finally admitted.

"Good, you need to come with me," Rachel told him.

Lucas loomed over her, "what the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that Brooke Davis is the most disgustingly stupid girl on the face of the planet. You coming or not?"  
He looked her over, obviously in disdain before nodding curtly, "let's go."

0000

Lucas drove very fast down the highway toward Elizabeth City, NC. From what Brooke's cousin, not old friend, Rachel had told him the shit was about to hit the fan. She hadn't explained much more than that but Lucas had chills running up his spine, his intuition was telling him to get to Brooke.

"Why are we going to Elizabeth City," he questioned Rachel. He tried not to notice as she pulled on black leather gloves to match the rest of her entire black outfit. She had been sure of herself as she had pulled her hair back tight into a ponytail and tied up the strings of her black boots.

"Because that's where Brooke is," Rachel replied as she stared at the star lit sky.

"Why is Brooke in Elizabeth City," he continued.

Rachel finally looked him in the eye, "there is an awful lot that Brooke never told you. Funny, seeing as she's in love with you."

Lucas swerved causing Rachel to grasp the door and her seat. He got the car back on track and turned incredulous eyes on Rachel, she had thrown him, "Brooke Davis is not in love with me!"

Rachel shrugged, "trying to be, trying not to be, all ready there? Whatever."

"What are you playing at," Luke asked her. Why had he let this crazy bitch talk him into driving over an hour away to a city where Brooke may or may not be? Because he had heard true fright in her voice when she told him that Brooke was in Elizabeth City. And because no matter how hard he tried he was connected to Brooke Davis and had to help her even if she hated him for it.

"Look Lucas, there are things in our pasts that aren't pretty. They're not perfect and well put together pasts. They're disorganized and painful. There is a lot of shit that is coming to an end and I need you there for one reason."

"What's that," Luke asked.

Rachel turned her eyes down to her lap where she was clutching a small silver cross earring, "to get her attention."

0000

Brooke was clutching one small silver cross earring in her hand as she snuck around the outside of the trailer. It was a family size trailer with two bedrooms, a bathroom and full living room and kitchen. Hopefully he would be in the living room all ready drunk to high heaven. His truck was in the parking lot and the living room had the dull blue light of the television on. She crawled beneath the trailer and found the hatch that she would have to climb in through. It was a small opening that was supposed to be used for placing the trailer on a truck if it needed to be moved.

She moved slowly, careful that her movements didn't create any sounds. Although she had done this countless times before it still felt like the first time. Beneath her black leather gloves her palms were sweaty. She found herself thinking of Lucas. Would he be at her dorm room waiting for her? She knew that Rachel would be awake soon and be coming to help her. She hoped to be long gone by then and to intercept her.

Slowly she peaked her head through the hatch, barely raising it half an inch so she could see around the room. The bedroom was messy and smelled like moldy food and booze. She quickly and quietly entered the room, pulling her body weight in and slowly closing the hatch. Opening her tote she began to pull every piece of valuable jewelry into her tote. She knew that a lot of the jewelry was Rachel's and the extra pieces were stolen by him. But she wasn't here for the jewelry; she was here for her Aunt Eileen's stuff. There wasn't much left over from her life only pictures and her diary. But they meant the world to Rachel and to her.

Brooke assumed they would be somewhere in this room because this wasn't Rachel's old bedroom. This was his always locked bedroom. The heavy padlock had always been a reminder to Rachel that she was trapped until he gave her the keys to leave. She searched his drawer and his closet, not making any noise but couldn't find it.

"Shit," she screamed in her head. He would come in soon and he would know she had been there. Despite his drunkenness, he always knew! She had sixty more seconds at most. Finally as she was preparing to give up she saw the small shoe box peaking out from a misplaced ceiling tile. Very gingerly she grabbed and was very unprepared for the screeching loud alarm it signaled.

0000

Lucas quietly followed Rachel through the woods but found it difficult to keep up. As soon as they entered the woods she had gone into an intense stealth silence, barely making sound as she moved. He wasn't stupid, this was not the first time she had done this.

"Okay," he had to strain to hear her voice, "there's the trailer."

He looked at the run down trailer in the middle of nowhere and felt his heart lurch. Whatever he was dealing with, it was trouble. The living room light snapped on and suddenly the shadow of a petite woman being punched to the ground was being illuminated. Luke moved forward, he knew without doubt it was Brooke.

Rachel's arm shot out, "do not be stupid!"

"He hit her, he hit Brooke," Luke was positively fuming, "he hit _my_ Brooke."

"I know," she replied, "but you have got to pull it together or you will compromise the whole fucking mission!"  
"Mission," he stared at her incredulously for the umpteenth time that night.

The door was kicked opened and a huge middle aged man was dragging Brooke out behind him by her hair, "Rachel, come out, come out, where ever you are! I know you're here, you two couldn't do a mission alone to save your lives."

"Again with the fucking mission shit," Luke thought to himself. Three hours ago he had been playing one of his worst games ever because of his massive blow out with Brooke and now he was in the middle of fucking nowhere, with her crazy ass cousin, trying to save her stupid ass!

Without preamble Rachel stepped out of the woods and into his sight, signaling to Lucas to stay put, "here I am Bill."

He sneered and Lucas almost winced. He didn't know teeth could truly be that yellow. The man, Bill, was about 6'4" with big broad shoulder, a few days growth on his face, and sunken in, jaundiced looking eyes.

"Little Brooklyn and Rachel Ann, a reunion tour," Bill told them pulling Brooke's hair tighter when Rachel approached him with her hand at her hip. Rachel stopped immediately, "you'd better rethink using that knife you have plastered to your body. I'll snap her neck in half."

Brooke looked into Rachel's eyes, Lucas realized that they were communicating silently. Suddenly Brooke's eyes watered and Lucas knew that she was about to do something very stupid like trying to kill whoever this son of a bitch was so Rachel could get away.

"I want you back in this house. Go into your room, I'll deal with you later. Did I stutter? Do you want her to die?"

Lucas didn't wait for Brooke to attack he ran out of the woods, "Brooke!"  
Her eyes widened and everything else followed in quick order. Rachel attacked Bill, her knife going straight for his jugular, and Brooke pushed Lucas out of the way as the gun Bill had in his hand was being raised toward him and the trigger pulled.

Brooke pushed Luke onto his back and hissed, "stay out of the way!"  
Luke pushed himself up onto his elbows and watched as Brooke ran toward where Rachel was being wrestled onto her back by Bill. He got up slowly, and held his arm. He was bleeding, vaguely he realized he had been shot.

"Nate," he called with his last conscious breath.

Brooke scrambled for Bill's gun when he tossed her from his back and suddenly it was being lifted and aimed by Nathan Scott. Bill stopped and they all rose.

"Get behind me," Nathan told them, his eyes never leaving Bill, "now!"

Rachel and Brooke moved to follow, Brooke lifted her tote to her shoulder. Nathan backed up toward Lucas. Bill sneered at him angrily, "I don't know who you are but you'll get yours."

"Well from where I stand I should be dishing out the threats. Grab my brother," Nate told them.

Brooke and Rachel hefted him in between them. Bill looked directly at them, "I will find you. When I do, you're both dead."

"It's over Bill," Rachel told him.

"We'll never be under your power again. If you ever show your face to us again," Brooke held up Lucas as best she could but still shared a glance with Rachel, "it won't matter if we're killed, because we'll take you with us."

"Let's go," Nathan told them.

0000

Lucas woke up in his bed the next afternoon and suddenly his entire memory returned. He snapped up and felt an intense shooting pain go up his arm. He grasped his arm and realized it was in a sling over his chest. The curtains were drawn so the room was dark but even through the darkness he could see her. She was curled up in his recliner, her dark hair spilling over the end and she was breathing slowly and evenly.

"Brooke," he called to her because he wasn't quite sure he'd be able to walk. Jesus, he thought, he had been shot in the fucking arm.

At the sound of her name her head snapped up and her body tensed. How had he never noticed how tense she always was. She was always prepared for a fight. She focused on him and rose, "are you in pain again? Do you want me to get your pills?"

He shook his head, "what the fuck happened?"

Her hazel eyes shifted to the ground. There was a nasty bruise forming around her right eye and it was swollen, "you don't remember?"

"I remember following your crazy ass cousin into the woods, seeing that nasty motherfucker with his hands on you and getting shot. By the way, don't you ever jump in front of a bullet for me again. I could kill you for that," he told her.

Brooke offered him water, "Nathan popped out of nowhere and grabbed Bill's gun. He got us out of there and to the hospital. They said that you have a superficial wound that should heal over in the next few weeks. Good thing March Madness is just getting off. You'll be good to go in no time."

"Brooke," Luke took her hand, "what the fuck is going on?"  
She looked him in the eyes and knew that she at least owed him an explanation before she cut off all ties with him. She wouldn't have any more blood on her hands from Bill. She had to put herself as far from him as possible so that he would be safe.

"Luke, what I'm about to tell you is something I have never told anyone before. I need you to promise on everything on this planet that you love and cherish that you will never repeat it no matter who asks or threatens you."  
Lucas stared into her eyes. She was very serious. Whatever was going on he was certain he was going to dislike, "I promise, Brooke."

She took a seat on the bed and decided to start from the beginning, "my mother Victoria was Rachel's mother, Eileen's, little sister. My father had been a rich business man but he had been married when my parents met. He promised to leave his wife but of course he never did. My mother worked herself to the bone trying to provide for us but I think his betrayal broke her heart. She died from a blood infection when I was eight. I moved in with my Aunt Eileen and Rachel after that. My Aunt Eileen was the most amazing woman in the world. She was kind and good natured and sadly, loaded. Her first husband, Rachel's dad, had been very wealthy but he had died from a stray bullet when he had gone to a jeweler to buy Aunt Eileen's birthday gift, a pair of silver cross earrings. Rachel was only one when that happened. He had been the love of her life and she insisted that he couldn't be replaced, and never tried. When Rachel and I were twelve Aunt Eileen met Bill Jenkins. He was suave and could talk a good talk. He worked as her all around go to guy. Her supposed best friend. He talked her into signing him as our parent ad lib in case anything ever happened to her because he knew that we were her beneficiaries. In short order she mysteriously died of a long illness when we were thirteen."

"What does this have to do with your spy training," Luke asked.

Brooke arched an eyebrow at that question, "it didn't take Bill long to spend all of Aunt Eileen's money. In the end all we had left were her silver earrings, her diaries and her pictures. He needed more money so he trained us to be thieves. He had once been in the Army Special Forces and knew a lot about getting into places undetected. He threatened us with each other. I've broken into more homes then I can count. Homes with security systems and dogs. Eventually I couldn't do it anymore, I left. Rachel couldn't leave without the little bit of her mother she had left. That's what was happening last night. Our last mission, retrieve Aunt Eileen's memory."

"Are you serious," he asked.

Brooke nodded curtly, "dead serious."

"Jesus Christ," Luke muttered.

"I don't expect you to be able to make sense out of all of this but I will trust you to keep this to yourself."

Luke took her hand, surprising them both, "you sound like you're planning something."

"I'm going to disappear soon Luke," she admitted.

"No," his answer surprised them even more.

She tried to tug her hand away but he held tight, "yes!"  
He let her go and watched as she quickly left the room. He sat back because he was tired again but he would get her. She wouldn't leave for a while yet, he knew it instinctively. She could run now but he would find her. Brooke Davis was an enigma that he planned to keep by his side.


	5. Author's Note

Hey ladies and gents! So my fic The Universe No One Understands has been nominated for Best Couple in Tree Hill for the annual One Tree Hill Awards. Go to the following link and vote for me if you think that my fic deserves it. I'm excited that something I've put so much effort into is being recognized. Thanks!

-Liz

h t t p : / / w w w . o n e t r e e h i l l a w a r d s . t h i s - p a r a d i s e . c o m /

remember not to include the spaces!


	6. Alternate Reality

As soon as Brooke and Rachel left Nathan went into Luke's room and sat down heavily in his recliner. Luke was awake staring at his ceiling, his free hand clenching the sheet, "can you believe this shit?"

"I know, out of all the girls in the world you could be in love with," Nathan agreed.

"What are you talking about," Lucas asked.

Nathan sighed, "there is absolutely no reason, no people, except me and Peyton that you would go into the woods and get shot. You two have always had crazy chemistry but I never even guessed you were in love with her."

"I am not in love with Brooke Davis," he denied.

"Okay, big brother, whatever. Either way I talked them into staying until the end of March Madness. Brooke wants out but when I was talking to Rachel it sounded like she wanted to finish their business here so the next time they left it would be to go to a better life."

Luke looked at his little brother, "you're sounding infatuated, little brother."

"At first I thought she had blue eyes," Nathan told him, "and then today I realized that they're a dark purple. I've never met anybody with her eye color."

"Jesus Christ, tell me you're not going to go for the mission impossible chick!"

Nathan smiled as he rose, "one to talk, the woman you're in love with is a psycho bitch with a death wish and an iron fist."

0000

Brooke walked toward the normal breakfast table with Rachel by her side. She had coached Rachael on all of the lies she had told, and she did remember each and every one of them. Letting your own lies strangle you was amateur shit.

"Don't worry, I know my part," Rachel told her quietly, "and the make up is still covering the bruise."

"I still think we should leave," she replied as she gently touched her discolored right eye.

"Tough," was her quick reply.

As they approached the table they noticed that everyone was staring at Lucas. All the cheerleaders had thick looks of lust, except Haley and Peyton. Brooke wanted to slap each and every one of them until they knew he was off limits. That thought stopped her short. According to the world Luke Scott was not off limits, in fact he was deliciously single, of course they were trying to cozy up to him.

"I can't believe you were mugged," Theresa practically wailed, her hand on his in an effort to comfort him, or to show him more of her cleavage.

Lucas looked up when Brooke sat. Brooke almost groaned, he was all ready looking at her differently. Usually he'd have a smart ass comment and she'd have one to give right back to him. Now he looked like he did before he buried himself inside of her. She clamped her legs to together and scowled, "playing injured Scott?"

"Brooke, my brother was mugged," Peyton told her tearfully.

Haley patted Peyton's shoulder and nodded in understanding. Brooke rolled her eyes, "ladies and basketball players, this is my old friend from Omaha, Rachel. She'll be trying out for the cheerleading squad this coming week."

"Try outs finished last week," Theresa told Brooke as she gave Rachel a once over, "you never make any exceptions."

"Well I am now, funny how I can do that when I'm the captain of the squad," Brooke told Theresa, one eyebrow arched and Brooke knew her bitch face was on.

"She can't be a starter," Theresa continued, "you'll have to bench her to be fair."

"Its okay, B," Rachel smirked at Theresa, "I can be in the back until I can prove what I can do. That's the only fair way."

Brooke looked Rachel in the eyes and nodded, "all right, Rach."

"So you two knew each other in Omaha," Bevin asked, slightly confused.

Before Rachel could reply Nathan sat down and their eyes met. She gave him a small smile, one that each cheerleader saw, and gave a damned good Brooke Davis wink when he smiled back.

Brooke laughed suddenly and for a moment everyone at the table watched in surprise at this experience. Brooke rarely smiled, let alone laughed. She rose, "come on, trouble maker, we have some classes to get you signed up for."

"Do we have to," she pouted, "I was just getting them good and jealous!"

Everyone watched them walk away, the sound of Brooke's laughter fading. Finally Theresa huffed, "did she say jealous?"

"As if," Bevin concluded.

Peyton and Haley grinned at one another, this was an interesting turn of events.

0000

"Hey Rachel," Nathan jogged until he finally caught up with her. She smiled up at him and he noticed she was different from the girl he had run into those few short weeks ago. She looked vibrant now, more alive and healthy.

"Hi, Nathan, I was hoping to run into you today," she told him.

His heart hitched and he felt his palms started to sweat, "really? Why?"

"Did I leave my hair clip in your living room," she asked.

"Why would your hair clip be in his living room," Rachel rolled her eyes at the voice. Was this tramp stalking her?

"Mind your business, Theresa," Nathan told her.

The small brunette stared at them both, "she just got here a few weeks ago and she got to go a date?"

"I don't know who you think you're questioning but honey, I sure as hell don't owe you any explanations," Rachael told her.

"Just because you and Brooke are best buddies don't think that you're taking over anybody's spot. You're not that special," Theresa replied. Her eyes widened in surprise when she felt a finger nail tap her shoulder. When she turned and realized it was Brooke her face heated up and she felt the blush creep all over.

"Brooke," Nathan cautioned.

Her hazel eyes went to Nathan's eyes, the same eyes Luke had, and for some reason, they calmed her.

"Leave now, Theresa," Brooke whispered.

"But-"

"While you still have a position on the squad, a reputation and a chance for a normal junior and senior year. Leave now, Theresa!"

As she huffed and sped walked away Brooke shook her head, "fucking tramp!"

"Don't swear, it's not very lady like," Rachel reminded her.

Brooke stuck up her middle finger and was surprised to hear Luke's words close to her ear, "maybe later baby, my arm still hurts."

Her mouth dropped open in surprise. Nathan laughed, "look, I'll see you later, Rachel. Bye Brooke."

Rachel pushed Brooke's jaw up and then linked their arms, "don't seem so surprised!"

"He never, ever, flirts with me," Brooke told her.

Rachel dragged her along, a smile on her face, "you're giving everything away with your face baby cakes."

"Rach," Brooke stopped and stared at Luke and Nathan's retreating backs, "he never flirts with me. Not even privately."

"He never knew you before," Rachel looked her in the eyes, "not even privately."

0000

Brooke mulled over Rachel's words for the rest of the day. She knew they were true. She had let Lucas in on some of herself. He knew she was deep private and cunning, capable of acts that he would never consider. But he didn't know the person that her aunt and Rachel knew. He didn't know that she would die for her family, that sometimes the pain of her past haunted her, that nightmares plagued her sleep. She sighed, she had never wanted to show anyone else that side before and suddenly it was all she could do to keep her shield in place.

"Whatcha thinking about," Lucas' voice startled her.

She turned in her seat and looked around the library. Rachel was in the bathroom and the library was strangely silent for a normal Thursday afternoon.

"What are you doing, Lucas? You know you can't come up to me like this in public, people will talk," she hissed.

He smiled at her and she felt her heart melt a bit, "have I ever cared what people thought?"

"That's a stupid question. We both care what people think. That's why-" she cut herself off abruptly.

His blue eyes seemed to see through her with their startling clarity, "that's why, what?"

"You know!"

"What do I know," he squatted down so they were eye level, "I know that looking at you right now, in your tight jeans, and seeing all that delicious cleavage I want to take a bite out of you."

Her mouth fell open, "why are you flirting with me?"

"I thought it would be an interesting change," he replied with a smirk.

"Lucas," she realized that as she whispered his name that their mouths were moving closer together until she could taste his breath. She felt her lips tingle and her breasts beginning to ache.

When they finally met her arms wrapped around his neck as his tongue slid over hers, just as hungrily as usual but with something different, something they had left undefined for a long time.

"Excuse me, if I'm not having an orgasm right now, neither are you bitch," Rachel's voice pulled Brooke out of her daze.

She pushed Lucas away in shock. They were never this careless, "Lucas!"

"I don't regret it," he told her.

"Okay, big brother Scott, you can have her later, after she helps over see this moving thing," Rachel told him.

"What moving thing," he rose and asked Rachel.

"The college moving service is helping us move her shit into our little apartment thingy. I think it's called Blooming Grove."

"You're moving into the college apartment complex," Lucas asked Brooke.

Brooke scowled at Rachel, "yes, we are."

"Which apartment," he asked.

Before Brooke could stop her, Rachel smiled charmingly, "D5, feel free to come visit!"

"Rach!"

"What," Rachel asked with a squeak, "he asked!"

"Jesus," Brooke rose and took Rachel's hand, "we're going to be late to practice. See you later, Luke."

Lucas watched them walk away and grinned thinking it was just his luck he lived in D2.

0000

"Okay, ladies, the routine one more time. One, two, three," the beat broke loose and Brooke led the team as they shook, bent, teased and cheered. This was going to be their first halftime show of March Madness and it had to be perfect. Duke had a reputation after all.

She turned and watched as the squad moved as one. As usual Bevin was off a quarter beat and she would have to rehearse it with her a bit longer after practice. She smiled at Rachel, who was busy in the back out shining everyone in the front.

"Okay, hold on," she turned the music off, "I really wanted a back hand spring over this part of the dance so Rachel come up here and Peyton."

"What," Theresa asked incredulously, "we've never even seen her do a flip before!"

"Good thing I have," Brooke replied.

"This is not fair," Theresa argued.

Rachel took a deep breath before doing a double back hand spring and landing in a split in front of Theresa, "good enough?"

The other side of the gym erupted into cheers and Rachel realized the whole basketball team had seen her little move. She grinned as she rose, her eyes meeting Nathan's. She could have been wrong but she was almost sure he had winked at her!


	7. Welcome To The Losing Team

Brooke stood in the doorway of her new apartment watching as five sweaty, sexy men in their twenties moved her things in and furniture around. She was irritated. Normally if she was in this position she would have all five men surrounding her, vying for her attention. Instead she was standing in the doorway scowling and thinking about a particular guy with buzzed cut blond hair and startling blue eyes. And a nice body. And a really, really big-

She was pushed out of her thoughts when she felt one hand go around her waist and pull her toward a body. Brooke's scowl deepened, "shouldn't you be at practice going over the videos of your opponents games?"

"Coach, gave me the day off so I could rest. When a man is injured he needs rest," Luke told her.

His thumb was rubbing her ribs and every once and again the underside of her breast. Oh, God, she wanted to kiss him!

"You better go get some of that rest then," was that her voice? All breathless and half choked?

"The thing about resting is that it can be boring without a partner," Luke explained. Before she could reply and deny him he pulled her to him and brushed his mouth very sweetly across hers. She felt her body become electric, every nerve waiting for his next move.

"Seriously, if you guys do this as often as I've seen it recently then I'm surprised no one picked up on the whole thing," Rachel's voice had Brooke jumping back four paces.

"We do," Brooke felt her tongue getting tied, "well just not in public. Ever!"

"Ever," Rachel questioned, hands on her hips.

"Nathan, what are you doing here," Luke asked.

Nathan grinned at Brooke, "not what you were doing."

"Everyone's a funny guy," Luke grumbled. He wasn't upset that they were caught, on the contrary he thought it would be very beneficial if everyone finally knew. However, he was very unhappy that his plans for his afternoon were interrupted.

"I just got my hair clip from their place and invited him down for dinner with us, I figured we could go over the rules and shit," Rachel explained.

Brooke nodded and sighed, "I suppose that does need to get done soon."

"The rules," Luke asked.

"Apparently now we're a part of a very big problem and there are rules that the girls are going to map out that we must follow so that they can protect us," Nathan smothered his smile. Rachel thought Nathan was very nice to do so because he still didn't understand what they were up against. Although, the fact that he been able to be in the forest that night and she hadn't detected him made him a case for study.

"Come on," Rachel motioned inside, "we'll cook and then talk over dinner."

As Luke closed the door behind all of them he looked at Brooke in surprise, "you cook?"

XOXOXOXO

"Man, can you cook," Luke groaned over the perfect pasta fettuccini that Rachel and Brooke had made from scratch with an easy comfort within the kitchen.

"We've been cooking since," Rachel looked to Brooke who was across the small table for four, "God, how long?"

"Years and years, Rachel's mother was a gourmet chef on top of being an angel," Brooke explained.

"Seems like an amazing lady," Nathan commented, his eyes on Rachel.

She nodded and then looked at Brooke with a tenderness that Nathan recognized. It was the way he felt about his mother, his brother and his sister. It was an easy comfort because there were no secrets.

"More than amazing," Rachel elaborated, "she had a presence. When she walked into a room everyone took note of her and everyone was a little bit better for knowing her. Brooke definitely got her goodness from Mom. When she came to live with us Mom would hold her when she had a nightmare, would do little things for her. Brooke does the same thing for me now."

"Rach," Brooke whispered her name painfully. Brooke felt as if she had lost two mothers in her lifetime. It had been painful every time, it never was easier, she never got over it.

"I'm not surprised, Brooke has a lot to her, it's just undercover. But it's in her eyes too," Luke was talking to Rachel, not even glancing at Brooke.

Rachel nodded in agreement, pleased that Luke had noted that. Finally Brooke huffed, "I am right here, people!"

"You're certainly right," Rachel flashed her a grin.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "rules!"

"Ah, yes, the illustrious rules," Nathan took another serving of the pasta and inhaled a large bite.

"If you ever feel like you're being stalked," Rachel began but Luke interrupted her.

"Stalked how?"

"Something in your room seems to have been moved when you know you didn't move it," Rachel gave the best example.

"Or you're walking down the street and you notice a car that's always parked in the same spot and you've never actually seen it move. Or you notice it parked every where you go, tell us immediately."

"What will you do," Nathan asked.

Brooke looked at Rachel, "we'll handle it."

"Oh, no you don't, you're not going to force me and Nate out. We're in it just as much as you guys are. Besides, we saved your asses last time."

"At what cost," Rachel wondered.

Everyone looked at Luke's sling. The game they were playing was for keeps, it was life or death. There was no pretty in between, just pain, just winning or losing.

"Rachel and I are specially trained to disappear. Since you two have become a part of this whole thing we've had to figure out how to disappear if we need to and still keep you safe. This isn't child's play, if he catches the scent of money in your family he will use all of his resources to get to you and to use you. Don't think he'll stop at you two, you're whole family became involved the second you were stupid enough to agree to go to Elizabeth City."

"I asked," Rachel reminded her.

"And risked their lives. That was the stupidest thing you've ever done," Brooke told her.

"Brooke," Nathan tried to forestall the storm he saw in Rachel's eyes.

"Well the stupidest thing you've ever done was to try and complete a mission that important without me! What the hell were you thinking, Brooke? Have you lost complete control of your senses? You never go into a voluntary mission without all of the weapons at your disposal. Rule number fucking eleven!"

"Rule number fucking one in my heart," Brooke rose and slammed her fists against the table, "never put Rachel in danger over myself!"

"Damn it Brooke," Rachel ran around the table and pulled her cousin into her arms.

Brooke held her and felt the cowardly beginnings of tears in her eyes, but she would not cry. Brooke Davis did not cry damn it!

"Okay, why don't we just sit down and get another glass of wine," Nathan offered. Both girls stared into each other's eyes and nodded before taking their seats again.

Luke took Brooke's hand and she looked down at it in awe. He never held her hand. Everything was becoming so surreal to her. This world was so different from the one she had inhabited before the guys had known about the real her.

"Okay," Rachel drank a healthy gulp of wine, "rules."

Brooke nodded and looked at both Scotts, "rules."

XOXOXOXO

"Why is everything so emotional with you two," Nathan asked later as Rachel walked with him toward his apartment.

Rachel smiled, "well first of all, and I'll bet you never guessed this one, we're girls."

"Hahaha," Nathan laughed sarcastically, "but really. Everything is so all or nothing!"

"Yeah," Rachel nodded, "that's just the way we roll. We work hard, Brooke especially, we play hard, as often as possible, and we laugh as hard as we cry. When life gets you down all the time you have to put something up against it or it just takes over and you turn into him."

"Him being Bill," Nathan asked.

Rachel turned and braced her hands on the railing so she could look over the campus, still in the dark silence of a Friday night unfulfilled. Soon everyone would be leaving, going out to party but she wouldn't it was always too risky. There was always a chance that he would see her. That he would catch her.

"That demented motherfucker deserves to pay," Nathan's voice surprised her with it's anger and passion.

"Don't get mad," she told him, "it's a futile emotion unless you can harbor that energy. Brooke can tell you something about that."

The wind caught her long red hair and it flew back to caress his bare arm. In the darkness it seemed to be a silken touch that set Nathan's body on fire. He had never wanted to touch a girl's body as much as he wanted to touch Rachel. She smelled like flowers. He just wanted to get a closer smell of it. He inched closer into her until his hands were braced on the railing too and so his strong forearms were brushing against her tiny waist. Finally he buried his nose right below her left ear.

"Nathan," her voice had gotten raspy, but not like Brooke's voice could get. Different, intriguing, and quite intoxicating.

"You smell like flowers," he whispered into her throat.

"Mariah Carey's new fragrance," she murmured.

"Your hair feels like silk."

"Herbal Essence," she tried to turn in his arms.

"I'm going to try hard to walk away, but if you turn around then I'll have no choice but to bury my tongue in your mouth to see how you taste," he stepped away from her as her body shuddered and would have begun a quick walk back to his apartment when she turned and pulled his tee-shirt until he was close enough. With little fanfare she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him the way she had wanted to kiss since the moment he had bumped into her. He groaned and lifted her until her body was locked to his.

XOXOXOXO

Luke watched as Brooke cleaned the dishes and neatly dried them. It was very patterned, very routine. But nothing about them was normal anymore. He couldn't stop thinking about her and as much as he would like to assume it was because he was a chivalrous Southern man who never wanted a woman to be in danger, he knew it was because he was beginning to fall in love with her.

"I like Rachel," he told her.

She looked at him over her shoulder, "me too. So if your brother thinks she's going to be a fuck and run then he can think again."

Luke felt the familiar boil of his anger. She always seemed to know what to say to piss him off, "Nathan isn't the type to 'fuck and run' as you so charmingly put it."

"Call it what you want but if he hurts her," she tossed a sharp knife in the air and caught it by the tip, behind her back, "I'll slice one of his testicles off."

"I'll relay that message," Luke told her.

"We can't afford to have you two as added baggage. I can't stress how important it is to be able to disappear without a moment's notice," Brooke continued on.

Luke tuned her out as he stared at her ass in the skin tight Capri length black leggings she wore. He wondered briefly if she was wearing underwear.

"Could you please focus and stop looking at my ass," her tone of voice snapped him back to reality.

He inched closer to her, "how do you always know?"

"A girl always knows, she may choose to ignore it but that's a whole other matter entirely," she told him, "and could you quit invading my space."

"Baby, I've been so deep inside of you before that there wasn't a such thing as space between us," she could have moved before he locked his arm around her waist, but she didn't. He knew she was thinking of the last time he had taken her in his bed, a rarity. Never had they had more intense sex, their eyes had locked as he had slid deeper and deeper within her until they were one.

"Lucas," she warned, "Rachel and Nathan-"

"Are probably making out in my apartment," Luke cupped her naked sex after putting his hand in her leggings and smiled into her throat, nope, no panties.

"Your arm," her legs began to tremble.

"You're so wet for me," he nibbled gently on her ear, "did you know I would come over here and see?"

She nodded against her own will. She had known on some level that he would get her to this point, he always did. Because like it or not, she was connected to him on a level that was far beyond her to understand.

"Take me into your room Brooke or I'll make love to you against this counter, door open, fuck Rachel and my brother," he warned her.

She nodded and led him into her room, and into much more than either of them could comprehend.


	8. The Fall Of The Scott Brothers

This time was different, it was more…real. They couldn't lie, they couldn't begrudge one another anything. This time was pure, unadulterated, chaos. It was the real Brooke tangled up with the real Lucas. There was no room for lies or self-reproach; there was just room for them. Only room for the pounding of their hearts, the slide of their bodies and the instant, soul defining moments. The moments piled up: Lucas holding onto her as she helped him remove his clothes, Brooke burying her face in his neck trying to memorize his scent, Lucas gazing up at her as she slowly descended, joining their bodies, making them one.

When it was all said and done, when Brooke collapsed on top of him, weary of his injured arm, they both knew that this time had been different. There would be no going back; there would be no escape for either of them.

"You are the most incredible woman I have ever met," Lucas' words brought Brooke from her hazy, sex induced state of limbo.

She gently placed her chin on his sternum and looked up at his face. He still had his eyes closed so she felt free to truly take in his looks. With the slight shadow around his cheeks, mouth and chin he seemed older, like a man who knew something about life. His jaw structure was defined and she was reminded of how often that chin would jut out in the heat of an angry Lucas Scott moment. God, he was sexy when he was angry, she thought with a sigh.

His eyes opened and he grinned his I-know-I-just-completely-satisfied-you smile, "you blow my mind Brooke Davis."

Brooke was just about to give him a compliment as well when she felt something sticky and warm slide down her leg. Her mind stopped and suddenly she said a fervent prayer before turning on her bedside light and looking down at herself. Lucas looked down as well, wondering why she was tense all of a sudden and noticed with his eyes, what she had felt within her body.

"Fuck my life," Lucas and Brooke muttered at the exact same time. The tell tale sticky, musky scent of Lucas was slowly dripping down her leg. They hadn't used her diaphragm.

XOXOXOXO

The kiss lingered even when Nathan had pulled back and they were both breathing heavily on each other's exhaled breaths. Rachel opened her eyes and looked up at Nathan Scott. His heavy blue gaze was focused solely on her. They had moved from the balcony to Nathan's couch in his apartment. From there they had commenced with the best kisses either of them had ever received. They just...fit. It was strange, Rachel thought, that there should be someone who fit with her, physically at least, so well and she couldn't have them. She couldn't have anyone. Her life negated the mere mention of a serious relationship.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Nathan told her.

"Nope," she agreed before pecking the side of his mouth.

"I have to focus on keeping everything together. Luke has to heal, we have to win March Madness, I need to protect you-"

"Whoa," Rachel stopped him there by gently placing a hand on his mouth, "you do not have to protect me. Brooke and I protect ourselves."

Just as gently he took her hand and pecked it before correcting her, "as much as I admire you and Brooke, it seems to me like having another person on your side couldn't hurt. You think that I don't get it, that I don't realize the extent of this issue but I do."

"No you don't," she replied. As intuitive and sensitive as Nathan was there was no way he understood what it was like. She walked around knowing at any moment Bill could come out of the woodwork and demand something, anything, from her or Brooke. If he ever found out where Brooke was, if he ever realized how successful she would become or that like it or not one of the richest boys at Duke was in love with her then he would use them all. Point blank, she and Brooke needed the reputation of Duke to help guise their way through the world until they were successful enough to put an end to Bill, either judicially or by any means necessary.

"Then explain it all Rachel, let me in, I promise you won't regret it."

She almost had a weepy girl moment but instead sighed. She didn't get to cry anymore, shit was bad, but shit wasn't impossible. She would do the right thing, do whatever it took to get through and then finally put an end to the misery. She realized that she wanted this life. Wanted a guy as sweet and wonderful as Nathan, but she also realized that it was impossible for the time being. Maybe one day, when she truly knew it was safe, she would find him. But it wouldn't be Nathan Scott, she would let him go and find happiness.

"I think I should go," Rachel rose and looked down at Nathan, whose hand was still gentle but strong around her wrist, "you have to understand that there is a lot at stake, that this isn't a risk you are willing to take."

"I'll let you know what risks I'm willing to take," he rose with her.

Suddenly she was angry, more so than she had been in a long time, the kind of anger that boiled out from deep within, "are you willing to risk your friends? Are you going to tell the other starters on the team's parents when they end up dead in a mysterious bombing? What about that cute little blonde haired sister of yours? Are you going to look your parents in the eye over her mutilated body?"

"Stop it," Nathan commanded.

"No," she rebelled from his touch, "he ruins lives. And I'll tell you right now if all that is a risk you're willing to take then your sick! If I were you I'd take my brother and sister and make sure they never saw me or Brooke again. If I were you I'd never look back! We're wolves in sheep's clothing."

Nathan let her storm out. He couldn't say anything because he didn't know what would be the right thing to say. She was so upset, the rage inside of her was so obvious, he couldn't get past it. He needed time to think because Rachel Gattina was not going to be a woman he would figure out in one night.

XOXOXOXO

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," Brooke chanted over and over again. She had just gotten rid of Lucas barely a moment before and it had strictly been because she promised to see him as usual tomorrow and they would both calmly and rationally discuss their errant stupidity.

How in the blue hell was she going to handle it if she got pregnant? This was such a ridiculous situation. Of all the things in the world that could happen she had go and do something so stupid! She tried her hardest not to go to doctors because she knew Bill traced medical files. He wasn't so into school files because he had always thought that she and Rachel were too stupid to see the yellow brick road that an education could show them. If she were pregnant she couldn't keep the baby but if she got an abortion it would have to be in a doctor's office somewhere.

Just then Rachel stormed in, the look on her face had Brooke's hair standing on end. She stopped pacing around the living room and chased Rachel into her room, "what's wrong?"

Rachel glared at her, "what do you think is wrong? Everything is wrong! It's always all wrong!"

"Okay, well that explained it all," Brooke told her sarcastically.

She watched Rachel pace before finally punching her headboard, leaving a small fist sized shape in it. Finally Rachel sat and grabbed her old rickety teddy bear that she had smuggled with her that first night on campus, "Nathan is a really good kisser."

Brooke slowly grinned, "did you-"

"No, I did not have sex with him," Rachel intercepted her thoughts before she could voice them. Brooke's eyebrow rose and Rachel challenged her, "unlike you and Lucas, we are perfectly capable of maintaining space."

"Yep," Brooke nodded before clearing her throat and conspicuously adding, "that would explain the hickeys on both sides of your neck. Complete control. You two are actually my role models."

"Hickeys," Rachel squealed and looked in a small hand held mirror on her end table. She sighed, "what are we in fifth grade?"

"Nope, this is college honey buns and as usual everything is very real. Why are you upset?"

"I'm not upset," Rachel argued, "I'm just all ready sick and tired of Nathan Scott trying to protect us."

Brooke laughed out loud before snuggling up with Rachel on the bed, when she did it reminded them both of how Rachel's mother used to cuddle with them in her bed as they all watched Saturday morning cartoons.

"Nathan Scott is a born protector and I think you like it more than you want to admit. Rachel, this whole situation has gotten so out of hand, and although I still don't like it, I understand where Nathan is coming from. He sees the same thing in you that I see."

Rachel huffed then after a moment of silence glanced at Brooke, "I will not start to get feelings for him and lose him to Bill the way I lost my mother. I won't."

It was a simple statement for the simple truth. Brooke knew Rachel was as capable as she was of surviving. Sometimes that meant kill or be killed. Rachel's mother used to say it wasn't how long you lived but what you did while you lived. Brooke wondered how hard she was weeping if there was a place where she could see them.

"Let's focus on the shit at hand, tomorrow will come soon enough."

XOXOXOXO

Nathan walked in sullen silence toward practice the next day. It was a rainy Saturday morning and no one seemed to be in great spirits. It was like the whole campus was mellow after a night of rigorous partying. He wasn't paying attention when he bumped into Rachel. This time she was faster with her reflexes and rocked back on her heels to steady herself.

He grabbed her shoulders lightly to steady her and tried to ignore the heat that coursed up his palms at the mere touch of her soft skin. He grinned, "we seem to do this often."

She looked up into his eyes and for a moment he was lost in that blue-purple haze, this morning her eyes seemed sharper, more weary, he sighed, "when you look at me that way it makes me want to kiss you until your eyes go all doe eyed and soft."

Rachel blinked in surprise, "are you a poet?"

He laughed, "no one has ever accused me of that before! Something about you gets my tongue wagging."

"Well, sadly you do the same for me. Damned if I know why," her voice was so sullen that he actually chuckled and grabbed her before she could walk away. He put one hand on her lower back and lowered before giving her a thorough, completely outrageous kiss. When he felt her body weaken, to lose some of its constant tension, he gently released her and stood her upright.

Her eyes looked heavy and so drowsy with lust that he had the most unbearable urge to rip her clothes off and soak in the look of her pinkened skin. Suddenly her tongue darted out and licked her lower lip. He groaned, "shit, I feel like I'm fourteen again."

"I don't know what kind of drug you are Nathan Scott, but you're more addictive than crack, and you make me see more stars then X."

"Baby, I'll be whatever you want me to be if you agree to let me take you to dinner tonight," his voice was hypnotic.

Rachel found herself wanting to nod despite her better judgment, although she was quite aware that her better judgment was what kept her alive on bad days.

"I'm busy tonight, Brooke is getting the cheerleaders together for March Madness."

"Then tomorrow, or the next night, or the night after that," he offered.

After a moment of consideration Rachel sighed and nodded her asset. Nathan's smile was worth throwing her better judgment out of the window. Something about his smile, his _real_ smile, did something to her. It felt like she was free falling into the clouds.

"Cheer up, baby, I make good dinner conversation," and with that he gently smacked her behind and made his way toward basketball practice again, this time he was smiling.


	9. The Higher The Expectations

Brooke drilled her cheer squad until each and every one of them, including Rachel, looked ready to pass out. March Madness was their time to shine. Cheerleading fulfilled something deep inside of Brooke that she had never known was empty. She got to lead, to take charge and to be a part of something bigger. It had been the way she had felt when her family had consisted of Rachel's mom, Rachel and herself.

After one more run through of their half time dance routine she dismissed the ladies and promised Rachel that she would see her back at the apartment. She had waited, knowing that Lucas would follow her if she didn't stay. He wanted to talk, it seemed that since he had discovered her secrets he had been much more chatty than ever before. She sat down on a low bleacher and watched as he approached her in the empty and darkening gym. Sometimes all she had to do was look at him and she couldn't breathe. He made her want to forget who she was and where she came from. He made her want to be brave.

Now he looked serious. She was afraid that he would be so angry with her that he would leave her; and push come to shove, she didn't know if she'd ever be the same again if he did.

She opened her mouth to speak but Lucas put his hand gently, but firmly, over her mouth. Her eyes widened and darkened, telling him without words that he should get his grubby paws off of her. He grinned because she was gorgeous in her quiet fury.

"If you are then I'll hold your hand at the clinic or I'll hold your hand in labor. If you want it then we'll figure it out and we'll raise it together, as a family. If you don't then know that one day in our future I will be the father of our children. I'm here for you Brooke Davis."

He dropped his hand and Brooke's mouth went agape. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought he would say that. _Our children_, she kept hearing his voice repeating the words and it sent shivers down her spine. She almost wanted to weep in relief. He wasn't leaving her, at least not today, and she had learned long ago that today was all that counted.

"I'm not pregnant," Brooke told him calmly, "I got my period this afternoon."

"Oh my God," at the sound of Peyton's voice Lucas and Brooke both turned toward her.

Brooke surged to her feet in shock. Peyton and Haley were standing in open mouthed shock at what they had just heard. Brooke thought she heard Haley mumble a quiet, oh boy, but she couldn't be sure because there was a pounding in her head.

"It was not what it sounded like," Lucas told them.

"Really," Peyton asked putting her hands on her hips and adopting a Brooke Davis-esque quirk in her eyebrow, "because it sounded like you and Brooke just had a pregnancy scare. Which would imply that you have sex…together…with one another!"

"Okay, why don't we all just calm down," Haley tried to be soft spoken and not make any suddenly movements.

"It's not your business who I have sex with Peyton," Lucas warned his meddling little sister.

"Are you serious? You're sleeping with Brooke Davis for Christ's sake," Peyton screeched.

"Let's tone down on the volume," Haley told them.

"We don't have sex, we don't even like each other," Brooke told her, suddenly willing to do anything to get things back to the way they were before.

Lucas looked at her, his expression clearly conveying that she had hurt him. He had never shown her that side before. Peyton looked between the two of them and then suddenly a thought came into her head, "Nathan knows doesn't he!"

"Of course, he's my twin brother," Luke snapped at Peyton.

"Aha, so you admit you have sex together," Peyton cried victoriously.

Haley rolled her eyes and gave up, sinking onto the bleacher. This was just a headache waiting to happen.

"We don't have sex," Lucas was looking only at Brooke, "we do something that doesn't even have a name."

Brooke's heart did a back flip and her traitorous arms clambered to wrap themselves around his neck and hold on tight to his strength. She couldn't have stopped looking into his ice blue eyes to save her life.

"I can't believe this," Peyton's voice was quieting. Finally, when Lucas looked at her again, she continued, "you know Mom's rules. Always wrap it up! Have enough respect for the person you're with to protect them!"

Brooke's mouth fell open again. Was Peyton giving them a safe sex lecture after finding out that her beloved eldest brother was sleeping with the bitch of her nightmares? Would wonders never cease, Brooke wondered.

"Look," Lucas went to his sister and gave her a hug and pecked her forehead before looking toward Haley as well, "you two go back to my apartment. I still have some things to discuss with my woman. When I get back we'll talk more."

Lucas and Brooke watched the two girls go with little fanfare and then they were alone again. Lucas turned to Brooke and smiled, "she gave us her blessing. She lectures Mom's standard fare when she's over something."

"What are we doing Lucas," she hadn't meant to ask the dreaded question but it was burning too deeply in her mind and heart, not to.

He grinned at her before drawing her up into his arms, "we're making out right now."

XOXOXOXOXO

Brooke slammed the door behind her and slid to the ground. That had been awful! Exhilarating, wonderful even, but also very awful! Everyone would know now. Everyone would know that she was sleeping with Lucas Scott. They would think that she was a slut, they would all be talking about her and not in the hushed scared tones she preferred, but full front discussion about her. Lucas Scott was one of the most well known guys on the entire campus and college basketball. As his girlfriend, as the captain of the infamous cheering squad she was fucked! Bill would find her easily. And just when had she started to think of herself as his girlfriend?

"Fuck!"

"You do know that couches tend to be more comfortable than hardwood floors, right," Rachel stood in front of Brooke, questions in her eyes.

Brooke looked up at her and wanted to rage against the world. By being with Lucas she was endangering Rachel, and that was unacceptable. Rule number one.

"Fuck," she whispered this time.

Rachel squatted in front of her, "what is it?"

"I fucked us over," Brooke told her.

"Well it was definitely your turn to fuck us over, I called the last two times," she replied.

"Peyton and Haley know," when Rachel didn't respond Brooke continued, "about me and Lucas."

"What about you and Lucas?"

"They know we're together," she replied, was her cousin becoming so daft?

Her dark red eyebrow rose in surprise, "are you two together?"

"I…" Brooke looked around and then back at her cousin.

"Let me save you from having to use a lie. You are in love with him," Rachel cupped Brooke's cheek and smiled, "we'll figure everything else out in its due course."

Brooke opened her mouth and then closed it again. She wanted Rachel to be wrong. She didn't want to be tied to another person who could be hurt but now her inability to admit the truth was costing her. If she had been thinking with her head she would have realized immediately that damage control had to be done immediately with Peyton and Haley. Instead she had been in denial and lost valuable time.

"I love him," Brooke whispered.

Rachel grinned now, "there it is! Why is that your light bulb always comes up so much later than mine?"

"He's so arrogant though," Brooke seemed dazed.

Rachel snorted, "and you're not?"

"He has a temper!"

"I've seen you shoot people because they pissed you off."

"He refuses to back down to me and he's way too handsome for his own good," Brooke rose.

Rachel rose with her, "you're stubborn and cute, although I'm way cuter!"

"I love him. I love Lucas Scott," Brooke spoke the words out loud over and over, "I love him."

"Maybe you should tell him," Rachel suggested.

Brooke nodded her smile growing on her face, her dimples deepening, "yes. I'll go right now!"

Rachel watched her leave from their door and smiled to herself. Both of them deserved to have their weaknesses and it appeared that they both had their soft spots for Scott boys.

XOXOXOXOXO

Lucas walked into his apartment and groaned when he saw that Nathan and Jake were sitting with Peyton and Haley. Nathan looked up at him, "you didn't even last a week with the news man!"

"She's our sister and I don't think Haley is going to say anything. You're the one who brought Jake into this," Lucas fought back immediately.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Haley called Jake, not me. Unlike you I can keep a secret. What now? What did Brooke do after the girls left?"

Lucas didn't exactly blush but his neck reddened slightly and Nathan groaned, "come on, man! Right after being caught? Are you two incapable of keeping your hands off of each other?"

"That might be the best way of describing it," Luke admitted. There was no way he could expand on the feelings he had in terms of one little brunette.

"The question now is what the hell is going on," Jake asked the question.

Luke looked at Nathan and they appeared to be having a silent battle, which annoyed Peyton. Finally she stood, "guys, seriously? It's not weird enough that Luke is sleeping with the enemy but you both seem to know something that you don't want to share with your little sister, Jake, who is your best friend Nate, or Haley, who has known us all of our lives."

"She's not the enemy," Luke told her immediately.

"There's nothing," Nathan replied to all of them.

Peyton stepped forward, "Luke, what do you see in her?"

"I thought you were fine with her, at the gym-"

"I didn't want to cause a huge scene and I assumed you would come back here and talk to us. Luke, she's a bitch."

Luke turned from her, "don't talk about her like that. She has her reasons."

"Like what? She likes to see Theresa cry at her birthday party, she likes to watch Megan starve herself so she fit into the size two and smaller cheer uniforms she ordered, or likes to humiliate all of us in front of the entire student population? Luke, you are so much better than her. You deserve better! You're smart and handsome and popular and people like you because you're nice."

"Peyton, you're my baby sister and I love you, but back off," Luke told her quietly, "you don't understand and if you ever do you'll feel bad for saying all of these things."

"Then explain to me Luke, explain how you could be with a woman who is so freaking mean! A woman who is the polar opposite of you!"

"We are so much more alike then you or she understands," Luke replied.

"What does she have? A magically delicious pussy?"

"Watch it," Luke warned, "you're the one out of line right now Peyton. You came into my apartment and you're the one talking smack about my woman. You don't understand and with that attitude you never will. What is happening to you? You used to be open and sweet?"

Peyton snatched her purse from the couch, "your girlfriend's been teaching me a thing or two, I'm learning from the best!"

As she threw open the door to storm out she ran directly into Brooke and judging by the look on her face she had heard the entire conversation. Peyton stalled and glanced back at her brother before huffing, "you'll ruin him. You'll turn him into another you, and honestly one of you is enough for this campus."

"Brooke," Luke noticed her presence but couldn't hear his sister's words.

Brooke was knocked back as Peyton ran past her. Haley rose and walked toward the door, "I have to follow her, she's impulsive when she's upset."

"Go ahead," Brooke whispered.

Jake rose and spoke to Nathan loudly, "do you want to get started on that History project?"

Nathan nodded and whispered low so only Luke could hear, "save this situation. This is a defining moment."

When Luke was alone in the living room staring at Brooke, who was still in the doorway, he realized that there was nothing he could say. She had heard his sister's thoughtless words and she was coming to all the wrong conclusions.

"Brooke, I-"

She smiled but it seemed sad, "I came over to tell you that we're over. This scare just made it clear that I don't think clearly around you."

"Brooke, I know Peyton was harsh," his voice was strained and he hated that weakness.

"Lucas, I can't afford to have weaknesses, you know that. I think you're great and because I know I can trust you with our secret I'll always want you as my friend."

His eyes widened and he felt his temper boiling over. Was this the same woman that just hours ago was sitting on his lap trying to best him at tonsil hockey? Now she was standing here soft spoken with that fake smile. Where was the Brooke he loved? The one with an attitude, who could fuck as furiously as she could be soft and yielding when she was making love.

"Don't run from me," he was pleading and he knew it.

Her eyes remained fixed on his chin, refusing to meet his eyes, "I'll let you know if there's any news about you-know-who, but in the mean time it might be best if we only saw each other at school events."

He tried to touch her arm, to draw her in but she backed away and finally looked at him, really looked at him, and the look in her eyes stopped him cold, "Brooke, don't leave me. I'll fight for you, even die for you, don't push me away. Don't be a coward."

"I have to go now," she turned and took one hard gulp before glancing back at him and whispering, "move on, Luke. Please."

It was the imploring _please_ that broke his heart. She was asking him to want someone else, to give his devotion to someone else, to love another woman. With a kick start he realized what he had been denying. He watched her walk away but he was screaming in his mind one thing: _I love you_!


	10. Too Good To Resist

"What in the hell happened last night," Rachel slammed her bag down onto the picnic table where Nathan was sitting, pretending to read.

He looked at her and as usual his stomach somersaulted just at the sight of her. He sighed, "what didn't happen? Peyton, Haley and Jake are convinced there is something about you and Brooke that Luke and I aren't saying. Peyton bad mouthed Brooke and didn't know Brooke was listening then she proceeded to whisper what I assume to have been some cryptic message. Then Luke tried to save the whole sordid situation but Brooke ran away like a bat out of hell. That about sum it up?"

"No," Rachel shouted before sitting, her posture indicating her defeat, "why didn't he tell her that he loved her?"

"Why didn't she," Nathan argued.

"Because she has so much to lose here. She has to protect herself," Rachel told him.

"Well so does he," he replied immediately, "as you so nicely pointed out a few nights ago, we are taking a lot of risks. He's always been the quintessential big brother, he has to protect himself so he can protect the rest of us."

"And you let him take that responsibility? You let him ruin his life to keep yourself out of the line of fire?"

He closed his book with a thud before leaning forward, "as much as you claim that we don't know you, you don't know us! We've all adopted roles that would get us through the hard times, Rachel. Believe it or not you're not the only one with a fucked up past."

"Yeah, I bet those king sized beds and sports cars were just the small parts of your hard knock life," Rachel shot back.

Nathan rose, his eyes reproaching, "you're something else! I mean, are you really that ignorant? You don't know me."

Rachel watched him walk away and felt her heart and stomach drop all at once. Why did she do that? Why would she alienate him for something that just wasn't his fault? Brooke sat down abruptly in the spot that Nathan had been occupying and let go of a deep sigh. She had sat through her English class, ignoring Lucas, ignoring the fact that her heart was on fire with need. She wanted him, she missed him, nothing was right and nothing was fair.

"Hey," Rachel muttered.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

Brooke quarked an eyebrow, "are you serious? You said something to Nathan to make him storm off and Nathan Scott does not storm off!"

"How would you know?"

"Oh," Brooke nodded in understanding, "pushed him away with insults? Well hopefully he'll be a little lenient and still pick you up for your date."

Rachel's eyes widened, she had forgotten completely, "I don't think he'll wanna go now."

"He's got broad shoulders," Brooke replied with a shrug, "it's always a toss up with Lucas whether he'll be protective and aggressive or passive and whimsical, but Nathan is consistent. He'll take almost any negative energy thrown at him and return it in a positive light. I wish I could do that. In fact, Nathan reminds me a lot of you."

Rachel folded her arms on the table and dropped her head down with a simple, "fuck."

"My thoughts exactly," Brooke responded, cryptically this time. Rachel rose her head just enough to turn it in the direction Brooke was staring at and saw with honest surprise Lucas Scott walking with his arm around Theresa and his hand in the back pocket of her jeans.

"We could snap most of her bones, in fact maybe even all of them," Rachel thought out loud.

"Oh I'd much rather break his," Brooke rose and Rachel knew simply by the look on her face that she wasn't going to back down. She watched as Brooke rose and stalked, there was no other word for it, the couple. When she was close enough Rachel realized that she was really going to throw down because her hand was reaching up to grasp the knife in her shoulder holster, which was hot pink in typical Brooke Davis style.

"Oh boy," she said as she began speed walking toward the couple who were still blissfully aware that she was behind them. Then suddenly Brooke had one arm around Lucas' neck and her knife pushed into his lower back. She forced him to lean back so she could whisper something in his ear.

"…the fuck Brooke!"

Rachel caught the end of Theresa's exclamation. She swung in front of Lucas and whispered next to Brooke, "really? In public? Back it off Brooke Penelope before I gut you myself!"

Brooke glanced at Rachel before whispering to Lucas to answer a question that Rachel hadn't heard, "well?"

He glanced at her, anger written into every crevice of his face, "you don't play fair."

"Never said I would," she replied easily.

"Yeah, I love you Brooke Davis," Rachel grinned at his words and stepped back because Lucas swooped an arm around Brooke and dragged her to him so he could kiss her. Rachel almost swooned.

"What is going on," she drowned out Theresa's voice by subtly shoving her away. She continued to watch, along with everyone else on the quad as Lucas spun Brooke around in a circle before slowly dropping her to her feet.

"I love you Brooke Davis," he said it loud and clear.

Brooke looked up into his eyes and after one small hesitation, "I LOVE YOU LUCAS SCOTT!"

Everyone clapped and in spite of any cynicism she tried to keep for protection she joined in and she would never admit it to anyone but her eyes got just a bit blurry with tears of happiness.

XOXOXO

Rachel sat in her room tuning out the sounds of Brooke's giggles and Lucas' deep chuckle. Since their entertainment hour on the quad they had been blissfully engaged with themselves. Which left Rachel to ponder how the hell everyone was going to make this work. Brooke had Lucas, who was at best a fucking idiot and doing all sorts of stunts that could get him killed, and at worst was so closed to trying to be a superhero that he might as well just sit down and pen his will out in his own blood! She had Nathan who was calm and understanding and, when she was telling him something that he had absolutely every right to disbelieve and commit her to a psychiatric facility for. his forehead would wrinkle as he nodded. She threw her arms up in the air! This whole situation was fucked!

Her door swung open and her jaw dropped. Nathan Scott looked calm and determined as he walked over to her. He put both hands on either side of her head, bent his head down, and kissed her.

Every thought, every emotion, every thing was just gone. Poof! The only thing she felt was his soft lips, his rough tongue and something else, something in her chest that felt like she could finally take a deep breath.

He ended the kiss with a small nip to her bottom lip. Their eyes met and she could tell by the storm in his blue eyes that he had been just as affected as she.

"You won't push me away, Rachel. I'm picking you up for dinner tonight at 6, wear something that shows off your gorgeous legs and keep all of this hair out."

Rachel didn't speak as Nathan played with the hair by her ear before rubbing her cheek and laying a very tender kiss on the corner of her mouth.

XOXOXOXO

"God, that sounds sexy," Brooke groaned as Rachel relayed the kiss to her. She was going through the closet full of dresses that she had designed and sewed herself. She selected a dark purple dress that was made for Rachel's long slender legs and had black lace sleeves, perfect.

"It was, I think my stomach is still on the floor heaving and spasming," Rachel confirmed, her voice was muffled as her face was smushed into her pillow.

Brooke understood this language very well, "you're going to sleep with him. And you're terrified."

"Weren't you terrified your first time," Rachel asked.

Brooke nodded more to herself, "yeah, but nowhere near as scared as I was with Lucas. I knew that I would be giving him a piece of me that I would never be able to get back."

"That's it," Rachel turned and looked at her cousin, "there's so much of me missing that I don't think I can afford to lose anymore."

Brooke tossed the dress on Rachel's feet and bent down so they were face to face, "you are the bravest person I know. Do not let him take away your courage, do not let him dictate your life. You're better than that trailer park, than stealing, than that piece of shit!"

"I'm scared."

"Good," Brooke smiled, "the fear lets you know that you're still alive, but what you'll feel after is the fuel for life."

XOXOXOXO

Nathan had picked her up promptly at 6, had knocked on her door wearing black slacks and a dark blue button up shirt that matched his eyes perfectly. Lucas had sat on the couch grinning at his brother's nervousness as Brooke gave him a speech about protecting Rachel and bringing her home promptly at 1am and should he be any later she knew where he lived and how to torture him.

"Sorry about her," Rachel commented as they got into Nathan's Mustang. The leather was warm despite the chilly night.

"Don't be, you've had to look after each other for so long that it's only natural for her to want to protect you," Nathan replied.

Rachel didn't say anything for a long moment, "Nathan, why did you still want to go out after this afternoon?"

He grinned as he weaved in and out of the busy lanes, "because you're feisty and I like that."

"Brooke is feisty," Rachel corrected.

"Yeah, I guess you're right but something about Brooke just never attracted me. Maybe on some level I knew that she and Luke had something together or that she was just meant to be my sister. She's cute but you're," he glanced at her, "you're something else entirely."

"I hope that's good," Rachel muttered as they pulled up to one of the most popular, and expensive, restaurants in the city.

Throughout dinner they talked about a lot of things including class, basketball, and Dan, the bane of Nathan's existence. Rachel felt she could relate because Dan truly sounded like an awful bastard. They talked about how lovely her mother had been, how his mother kept his dad in line and about their future career endeavors. They talked easily, like they'd known each other forever. Over dessert and Rachel's third glass of wine Nathan took her hand, "you asked why I still wanted to go out."

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Because since the first moment I saw you I knew that you were going to be important to me. I don't ignore signs and I'm not as stubborn as my brother. I want you Rachel, not for tonight or for the next few months, I want you for keeps."

"Wow," Rachel was very rarely speechless.

"I know that's a lot to take in on a first date but you need to know that I'm not taking this casually. I intend for this to be the first date of many, many more. And eventually when you're ready I'm going to make love to you and make you see stars."

Rachel looked up and around in the crowded restaurant, caught the eye of their waiter and raised her hand and with a very choked voice said, "check, please!"


End file.
